Strangers on a Hill

Congress and the Court

When Ross K. Baker's House and Senate first appeared in 1989, it became an instant favorite among students and instructors for its engaging and highly accessible description of congressional processes.

Now Baker's ability to demystify the intricacies of Capitol Hill is even more readily on display in Strangers on a Hill. Succinct, forceful, and clear—and suffused with a wry sense of humor—Strangers on a Hill updates his 1989 classic with an expert discussion of the often-stormy relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court. Focusing on the hot-button issues of our day, and relying on both clearly presented scholarly interpretations and firsthand interviews with those involved in the cases, Baker makes the constitutional principles and the institutional tensions come alive. Strangers on a Hill is a lively, pithy gem and the perfect supplement to courses in political science.